The present invention relates to coatable, water-based compositions for enhancing the durability and ink-receptiveness of imprintable substrates, and coated substrates and constructions made with such compositions.
Consumer products labeled with price, product, and other information are ubiquitous in modern society. Imprintable labels are also used on the sides of trucks, on billboards and other signage, and in the home and office. New software and printer designs have enabled a tremendous variety of fonts, designs, and even photographs to be printed with computer printers, and demand has grown for high quality films, papers, and labels that can be used with such printers.
Although efforts have been made to produce high quality ink-receptive sheets, labels, and other products, a continuing need exists for high quality, ink-receptive media characterized by high resolution, high color density, good color gradation, and other print qualities, as well as a need for durable materials that facilitate fast drying of water-based inks, smudgeproofness, waterfastness, and compatibility with both pigment-based and dye-based inks.
In accordance with the present invention, there are provided improved binder polymers, coatable compositions, and ink-receptive coated products made with the binders and compositions. In one embodiment, a binder polymer for making an ink-receptive composition comprises a copolymer made from a plurality of monomers, including at least one wet abrasion resistance-enhancing monomer, preferably a ureido-functional monomer. In another embodiment, an ink-receptive, coatable composition comprises at least one binder, at least one pigment or other particulate filler, and at least one mordant. The mordant fixes colorants in water-based inks, and diminishes colorant diffusion.
In another embodiment of the invention, the ink-receptive compositions are coated on paper or film, face stock or label stock, and yield coated products suitable for use in ink jet printers. The products exhibit good ink-receptivity towards both pigment-based and dye-based inks, colored as well as black, and are particularly suited for use outdoors and in other conditions where they may be exposed to rain, humidity, or other moisture. The coatings tend to be hydrophilic, yet water resistant, and quickly absorb water-based inks, without becoming tacky or suffering a loss of integrity.
In another embodiment of the invention, a water resistant, wide format or narrow format graphic construction comprises a substrate having first and second surfaces, an ink-receptive coating on the first surface of the substrate, an inked image printed on the coated substrate, and an adhesive coated on or applied to the second surface of the imprinted substrate. Ink jet-imprinted graphic constructions are readily made using wide format or narrow format ink jet printers. Once made, the constructions can be adhered to any object having a surface capable of receiving the constructions, such as billboards, other outdoor signage, the walls of buildings, buses, etc., as well as bottles, cans, and other containers and commercial goods. Constructions made according to the invention are highly durable.